Posts Tagged With: holders market

Last bundle of Barbados… for now.

Confession time. I’ve been so consumed with an abundance of events, exciting adventures and new friends that any spare time I’ve had, was taken by eating, pretending to sleep or getting ready for the next excursion. I’ve also learned that a blog can wait when the elderly man next to you on the plane decides to tell you a story or you get a spontanious invite during your prime writing time. With that said, here’s what I’m going to do for my own sanity and the benefit of future posts. Since so much has been happening, I’m simply going to compact the rest of Barbados into this one last post so I can catch you up to my current playground… country to be announced soon!

Here’s the rest from my island home away from home!

As you already know, my mom made a quick trip out to stay with me that allowed for us to share some of my favorite spots! A jaunt to Holders Market provided us with fruits, veggies, coconut chips and plenty of hugs from our earth loving friends!  

    
   
World, meet my dear Kenneth. His undeniable passion for this planet and the creations that abide here shouldn’t go unnoticed. His consistent smile and energy towards a healthy mind, body and spirit reaches beyond his wellness products. If you desire any of his goods or you’re on the island and what a one on one tour, please feel free to email him lutakenkwam60@gmail.com

Lovely Azizah fills our world using her creative new concepts for handbags and jewelry. I was actually sent on this day to pick up a purse for an international friend! If you’re interested in her designs please email her at aonifa@gmail.com or call (246) 267-1100.    

This happy fella created his product by hosting small dinner parties for friends and family, then expanded his ideas beyond the kitchen. He now serves up cocktails with local fruit, hand picked herbs and creativity. He’s still developing the business, so contact info is coming soon. 

On the way out of the market we stopped by for a familiar greeting from this Barbados born and raised author. Edison not only rememebred my name after our first meeting, but continued our conversations every week. Click here if you desire a deeper look into purchasing this entertaining book of short stories from the Caribbean!  

 Next up is a day at the pool where we first put our toes in the water during our first vacation here. If you can recall the post Not just a dolphin tour Barbados is the location I surprised her with for her 50th birthday in which we celebrated just months after her final chemotherapy treatment. The first collage is us at the same spot back in 2011.

  

We returned to Accra beach for a walk down memory lane and a day of relaxing. I blogged away while mom took a swim with my new friend from afar Fanie (you’ll meet him later). Happy thoughts and sunny smiles!

I’m sure you were wondering “will she get to see Cafe Moya?” Of course! Making her third appearance is the kind spirited Marguerite and her creations at one of my favorite eateries.  

An evening out started with a surprise reunion with the group that first invited us to return to this magnificent place! Back in 2011, the segway polo team traveled to my hometown of Folsom for the Woz Cup of Segway polo (a team sport similar to horse polo, except instead of playing on horseback, each player rides a Segway on the field). See Just the beginning of Barbados for more details.

Here’s a collage of our first meeting back in California.  

On this night we got the privilege of attending their gathering as they celebrated the trophy of this years Woz Cup. They are the 2015 World Champions!    
After a round of hugs and a few speeches, mom and I headed out with a few of the boys for an entertaining evening on a popular strip known as 2nd st. Thank you Ryan for bringing the sombrero… a brilliant accessory to a night out on the town!      

I’d like to close this post by showing a few random shots that were taken during the past weeks. No rhyme or reason, just more to admire from my favorite island.  
  

          

   
    

To my incredible friend that I get to call Mom. With full gratitude, I thank you for sharing your time, laughter and love with me. You are my biggest fan and I want you to know that I still feel your unconditional support even when we’re thousands of miles apart. I love you!
  
 
  

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Smell with your eyes open

Getting directions from a Bajan is similar to listening to someone explain a story in a different language or maybe like having a toddler tell you about their new toy. They know exactly what they are saying and look at you as if you should too.  “I’m speaking clearly, why don’t you understand”? Now looking back, his instructions made sense only if you’ve walked the path before or possibly were born and raised here. Oh well… off to the market we go!

Last year I can remember arriving around 9am and having slim pickins, so this time I’m on it bright and early.

“So go out the back gate and turn right”. (Back gate of the yard? the neighborhood, the round-about?) 
Since I didn’t see a gate in his yard (turns out there is one… oops), I walked out of the front door and headed in the direction he had pointed.  So far so good!  

  His street started to bend so I looked left and behold, a gate! I think. The rickety linked fence stared back at me with a locked, rusted, jagged prison gaurded resemblance. Hmmm… I don’t know about this.  Eh, lets go for it!

Side note, probably not the most brilliant idea to hop this trap wearing flowing pants during a windy island day. No need to worry, I survived.   

 “Follow de road”  Got it. “Walk till you see the fountain and turn left”. 
 Ok, easy enough (there was even a cute little arrow confirming for me). Step two, success! 

 

No thanks, I’ll keep walking. 

 
I’m not sure if it was the euphoric state of mind I developed while walking in silence or simply the view that was before me (probably a combination of both), but at this moment, all was in alignment. This is a small piece of what I believe people mean when they suggest to “stop and smell the roses”.  

Getting to the market was my goal, but this… this was just as magical. 

 
Back to the directions.  “Once you get to the golf course, don’t follow the road, take the pedestrian path over the hill”. Well this looks very “pedestrian” welcome.  Not much of a hill as I was expecting, but off the main road is what he said, so here I go! 

 
He didn’t mention a split in the path.  Uh-oh.   

 
As I continued along the foot path, things just weren’t feeling right. So what do I do?  Keep walking. 

  

Not looking good my friends…  
A sign! Can you see it?  If that says “Hope st.”, I’m on the right track!  

 
Wrong. I now have the confidence that I shouldn’t have confidence in my current route. I did a 180 degree turn and headed back towards the main road. As I approached the first split, my eyes zoomed in on the hill” he must of been speaking of. Yep, according to my burning thighs, this was definitley more of an incline than the golf course! 

 
Here’s a quick shot of the view once I reached the top.  

When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses with your eyes open? 

 
It may not seem like I’ve been gone for long, but I should have been to market by now. Early bird gets the worm… or in this case, early girl gets to pick the best veggies before they’re gone!

Although I don’t mind  getting a bit turned around (in fact most of the time, I love it!) today I was eager to be there on time for the broad selection of organic tropical goodies! Awh, look at this. Help was literally parked at the top of the hill. Thank you Universe! 

These two kind gentlmen not only helped me along the way, but drove me a stretch in order to show me the next turn on my journey! If you look at the bottom photo, you can see that he stood and watched until I was on the clear path.  Angels. 

 
Once I stepped foot on the broken dirt path, things started to look familiar. What’s this? I’m finally here! 

  
With fingers crossed, I held my breath rounding the corner like it was the first day of school and I was the last one to class. Am I too late? Did I miss out on the very thing I came for? 

 
Turns out everone was on Bajan time this morning which means,”It’ll start when we’re ready”.  All righty, so my hour late arrival was actually an hour too soon. Lovin the island vibe! What to do while I watch everyone set up their booth… have a seat at the cafe and absorb it all! 

 
SIDE NOTE: The currency is about half the dollar, so the iced coffee below would be around $4 USD.

  
Slowly but surely, stands arose and the market was in full swing!  You may recognize some of the produts and people if you’ve been following years past. The Holders Market was a part of the post, The rest of Barbados in a coconut shell!    

   
    
 Can you feel me smiling yet?! The music fired up as I headed on my way back home. 
 
The walk back was just as entertaining as the adventure to get there.  Easier on the mind, but not so much on the body.  Who knew after years of breaking them in, blisters would appear from my favorite sandals! I got these beauty’s in Vietnam from the post Lady lady, where you from? Good thing I love to feel the earth under my feet!

 
Look who it is! Greeted with a smile, I walked over to give them the requested update on my Holders experience.  I couldn’t tell if the smirks I was receiving were from a joyful reconnection, or simply being entertained by this crazy girl! Either way, they didn’t hesitate for a photo and certainly didn’t decline my offer of toasted coconut chips that I had brought from the market.

 

I’ll leave you with my final stretch in which I came across a little cheeky friend.  Tourists think they’re cute (because they are) and locals think they’re theives (because they are).

   

   

Categories: Edibles!, Fashion from a backpack, Fitness, Not-so-happy trails, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The rest of Barbados is a coconut shell

Time to wrap up the eventful visit to my favorite island of Barbados. You’ve seen the controlled chaos of the mud and paint party in Jouvert followed by the boat cruise of big kids pretending to be adults. Hopefully you giggled at the 5 “not so” well known facts and thoroughly enjoyed the energy of Kadooment!

Now it’s time to bring you the other side of my journey through the land of “The bearded ones”, which is the original name given do to the islands fig trees that have hanging roots resembling a beard. Since we’re already talking about fig trees, lets just jump into more scenery that you may find while driving, walking or exploring around.

This is on the path to Cherry tree hill for the gorgeous panoramic view overlooking the “Scotland District”. What used to be an orchard of Cherry trees, is now a street lined with towering mahogany trees, perfect for a handstand picture!

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Once reaching the peak, you have a wide view of the north part of the island, better known as the parish of St.Andrew. Another handstand for sure, this time accompanied by Ryan and his inverted pose as well!

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Let’s dive right into the beaches! None of the photos below have been edited to enhance the color of the water, sand or sky… It’s just that gorgeous! In fact, the first photo was taken from a car window while driving south on the west coast.

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What a glorious convenience that my dear friend and host Ryan teaches stand up paddle boarding. I score every time it’s “take your buddy to work” day!

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This is the end of his “sunset lesson”. If you’re headed to the island and desire some SUP (stand up paddle boarding) please contact me… I know a phenomenal instructor!

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Houses, markets, street sights and more!

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This girl (that’s me) loves to eat and it’s easy to do so around here! Between the Caribbean treats and the local flare, it’s hard to go hungry on this island of flavor. Please don’t hesitate to let the next set of photos make you drool, ok maybe just strike a bit of hunger.

This is one of my favorite dishes to get here and its not hard to find being one of the most popular quick bites on the island. Although the origin of the Roti is from India, it’s also well known in Trinidad and has made its way into other parts of the Caribbean. From various meat to shrimp or just good ol vegetables, the curry sauce and mango chutney won’t do you wrong. You can get it wrapped up or my personal favorite way, with the “insides” on a plate and the Roti wrap separate to be torn and dipped with your digits!

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Fish cakes are another ideal Barbadian snack food that can be served in rustic rum shops as well as elegant cocktail parties. Deep fried with salt fish, flour, egg and spices it certainly makes for a greasy treat that leaves you either wanting more… or a gym.

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Sushi on an island? Of course! This was privately ordered through a local woman who makes every dish directly from her home kitchen to yours. Due to the popularity and effort she puts forward, you have to order at least 24 hours in advance before you drive out and pick it up.

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Since chain fast food restaurants are limited (thank you Barbados!) you’re more likely to find a street vendor offering fresh made food and side dishes. Here’s one of our favorites that’s conveniently located on the drive home, The Rock Net Grill. With juicy options and service with a friendly smile, you can’t go wrong with this late night treat!
Side note: Its an average of 2 Barbadian to 1 US dollar.

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On the side of the road you can find home mixed juices ranging from Golden apple with ginger to the floral flavor of Sorrel. Considering this is where sugar cane is harvested and Rum is said to be created right here, “Rum punch” is the top seller of mixed drinks.

Fun fact: George Washington insisted on a barrel of Barbados rum at his 1789 inauguration!

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Keeping a healthy choice in mind, this gorgeous place holds one of the number one purest forms of liquid next to clean water… coconut water! For a longer list of this amazing drink and its benefits, I found a great website to checkout at www.coconutwaterlife.com

My favorite fun fact of this magical beverage: During World War II, coconut water was injected into the veins of soldiers when medics were out of blood plasma because it has the same electrolyte balance, thus appropriately called “the fluid of life.”

Although they sell it in stores and off the street, I’m lucky enough to watch my friends gather their own right in the backyard! Bajan cherries and coconut water for a snack, yes please!

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The hidden treasure below won’t be found in the “top 10 things” to do in Barbados…. But it should be! From jewelry to coffee, organic veggies to fresh meals, this place starts every Sunday off just the way it should be.

My favorite magnetic stall is ran by two angelic characters that greet you with smiles and an abundance of positive energy that I’m sure comes from their products! Serving up power oat smoothies, homemade herbal seasonings and my personal favorite, Kombucha tea (if you’ve never heard of it, please do your mind, body and spirit a favor and research it)!

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To finish up strong, I’m going to bunch together a group of random photos that didn’t make a specific post. Please enjoy this bundle of quality people, great memories and more reasons I’ll be back to the unforgettable island of Barbados.

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Care to see what it looks like when a I’m packing for my next journey aside a Bajan heading to Costa Rica?

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Turns out Ryan and I were on the same flight to Miami! After that, he heads to Central America and I’m off to visit my dear friend outside of New York!

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I seem to always have a lack of words to fully describe my gratitude towards the warm open arms and sincere friends that welcome me wherever I go. Once again, I feel like “thank you” would be an understatement to my family in Barbados. Till next time friends… peace, love and sandy sunsets…

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Categories: Edibles!, Travel talk, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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